Tilting tuned mass damper
Stopping shaking in working platforms
As soon as workers stepped on to them, the working platforms began to vibrate unacceptably. There was no way quality work could be carried out. The newly developed and tilting KTI tuned mass damper provided a permanent solution.
For grinding and painting work on aircraft fuselages, a customer from the aerospace industry employs seven platforms 22 meters in length and eight tonnes in weight. These platforms can be tilted for changing the aircraft fuselages.
Then a problem arose: the working platforms started vibrating excessively as soon as a worker stepped onto them. Grinding and painting with the required quality was impossible.
KTI engineers developed specially for this situation a tilting tuned mass damper. With a vibration mass of 470 kilograms and coordinated with the 1.8 Hz vibrations on the platform, the damper installed in the construction operates vertically. Vibration mass and damping are adjustable. With this special construction, the engineers were able to increase decisively the damping of the work platforms, and reduce vibrations accordingly.
Fully in line with customer requirements, the damper was designed as tilting device by means of a special conduction of the vibration mass. The damper casing also prevents any leaking of the absorption medium silicone oil directly adjacent to the painting work. The casing lid and maintenance opening were carefully sealed.
KTI created according to its customer’s request a preliminary model and carried out vibration measurements on the platform in the course of a site inspection. On the basis of these measurement results, KTI engineers then developed the subsequent solution. Following testing at KTI, the customer installed the new mass damper. KTI finally carried out fine tuning on site and performed control measurements. After final approval, KTI delivered a further six identical dampers.
Another compelling feature of the KTI solution was that, despite the high customer orientation and short delivery time, it was still cost-efficient. KTI mass dampers provide invaluable service not only with working platforms, but also in bridges and building roofs.
